Police arrest 26 Orleans County residents on drug charges

NEWPORT — A total of 26 people were arrested today in Orleans County for various offenses related to heroin and opiate trafficking.

Police say the arrests stem from an ongoing investigation that took place over the course of seven months, when the Vermont Drug Task Force conducted multiple drug investigations focusing on heroin and opioids.

The investigations were in response to multiple opiate-related overdoses in Orleans County.

In 2016 law enforcement reported 21 overdoses in Orleans County, three fatal and 18 non-fatal. These numbers reflect only the overdoses reported to law enforcement as the majority of non-fatal opiate overdoses go unreported to authorities.

After conducting a total of 79 controlled purchases of illegal drugs, the Vermont Drug Task Force concluded its joint operation with the arrest of 26 defendants on 87 different charges, including the sale of heroin, sale of crack cocaine, and aiding in the commission of a felony.